1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to thermoelectric conversion modules and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A thermoelectric conversion module is an apparatus for absorbing heat and generating heat utilizing the Peltier effect by passing a current between terminals. FIG. 13 shows the specific construction of the thermoelectric conversion module. The thermoelectric conversion module shown in FIG. 13 is so constructed that P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 and N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52 are alternately arranged and the chips 51 and 62 are connected to each other by leads 53 to absorb heat by conducting electricity from the N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52 to the P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 on one of the side surfaces and to generate heat by conducting electricity from the P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 to the N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52 on the other side surface. In FIG. 13, reference numerals 54 and 55 respectively denote a plus-side lead wire and a minus-side lead wire, and reference numerals 56 and 57 respectively denote a ceramic substrate on the heat-absorbing side and a ceramic substrate on the heat-generating side.
Description is now made of a conventional method of fabricating the above described thermoelectric conversion module. FIG. 14 shows the ceramic substrate on the heat-absorbing side 56, and FIG. 15 shows the ceramic substrate on the heat-generating side 57. In the ceramic substrates 56 and 57, leads 53 constructed as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 are respectively formed as interconnection patterns. The P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 and the N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52 are arranged as described above between the pair of ceramic substrates 56 and 57, and are soldered therebetween, thereby to assemble the thermoelectric conversion module as shown in FIG. 13. In this case, the P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 and the N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52 are alternately arranged in both the longitudinal and the transverse directions.
Meanwhile, in alternately arranging the above described P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 and the above described N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52, a jig 61 provided with cell-shaped punching holes corresponding to the sizes of the chips 51 and 52 as shown in FIG. 16 and a jig 64 provided with cells by crossing a pair of comb-shaped members 62 and 63 at right angles as shown in FIG. 17 are used to perform the work of inserting the chips 61 and 52 into the cells.
In this case, attempts to making the thermoelectric conversion module small in size bring about the necessity of making the chips 51 and 52 smaller in size. Consequently, assembling work using a microscope is required. In this case, therefore, there occurs the disadvantage that a lot of trouble is required for the assembling work. In addition, the P-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 51 and the N-type thermoelectric semiconductor chips 52 having the same shape and the same color must be alternately arranged. Accordingly, there may arise the problem in quality that the chips 51 and 52 are arranged in erroneous positions.
Moreover, an assembling jig for a small-sized module must be fabricated using a special method such as electric discharge machining (EDM) because their fine portions require high precision. Consequently, the jig is higher in cost, causing a higher cost of the thermoelectric conversion module.